Drier



A. C. M CORD July 16, 1935.

DRIER Filed Feb. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fl/z/jzz 51 [751272 471 7W WLGWW 5- ll ATTORNEY;

BY M A. C. M CORD July 16, 1935.

DRIER Filed Feb. 26, 1934 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fi/wn 5 H405 01 i ATTORNEYfi Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated driers of the type which discharge a blast of heated air for hand, face, hair, apparel and other drying purposes.

Anobjection to devices of this character as heretofore used is that a blast of relatively cold air is frequently discharged from the drier on starting it, especially when there is an appreciable lapse oftime between starting operations. This is due to the fact that these driers operate at full speed and at full air supply at all times, and the heating element provided in the drier for heating the air requires an appreciable length of time on starting the drier to raise the temperature of the high velocity air to that required for drying purposes. In other words, the conditions are such that the heating element is delayed in reaching its full heating capacity and the hot blast desired for rapid drying is appreciably delayed, slowing up the drying operation as is apparent.

In accordance with my invention, I overcome these objections by so controlling or regulating the amount or the volume of the air admitted tothe blower or other air flow producing means of the drier on starting it that an opportunity is afforded for the heating means to rapidly reach its full heating capacity and provide for an almost immediate rise in temperature of the discharged air. This occurs early in the starting operation and the hot blast required for rapid drying is discharged from the drier almost immediately on starting it or within an appreciably short time thereafter and continued in the continued operation of the drier.

The air controlling means, in accordance with my invention. is time controlled, whereoy the heating means is brought up to full heating capacity within the required number of seconds after the drier has been started. This provides for a rapid increase of heat within a predetermined period of time and obtains an almost immediate rise in temperature of the discharged air.

The air controlling means of my invention may be in the form of a valve for the air intake opening of the blower or other air flow producing means of the drier, the valve normally closing said opening. when the drier is started whereby the heating means will be required to first heat only the air contained in the drier.

The timing means in accordance with my invention controls or so retards the opening of the valve that the heating means by the regulation of the air flow in the drier is brought up to its full heating capacity by the time the valve is fully open.

It is a further object of my invention to have the opening of a valve induced by the pressure of the incoming air drawn against the valve by the blower or its equivalent in the drier construction and to also have the operation of the timing means controlled through the movement of the valve, whereby these devices may function automatically and be set in operation on starting the drier.

A further object of my invention is to have the timing mechanism in the form of a governor controlled speed reducer whereby the opening movement of the valve will be gradual. and consume just the period of time required for the heating means to reach its full heating capacity by the time the valve is fully open and thus obtain a hot blast almost immediately the drier is started or within a very short time thereafter.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter shown. and described.

In the accompanying drawings:-

Fig. 1 is an end view with parts broken away and in section, respectively, of a drier embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view with parts in elevation taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 shows the starting switch for the drier and the actuator for the switch, the showing being more or less diagrammatic.

shown in the drawings, the blower or air flow producing means is of the centrifugal type. It has an outer casing I and bladed air impeller or fan 2. The latter is eccentrically mounted in the casing and draws air into the same through an opening 3 in one of the side walls of the casing and in concentric relation with the axis 40 of the fan. The latter discharges air from the casing through a discharge nozzle 4 provided on the front side of the casing and extending outwardly therefrom in transverse relation to the axis of the fan, as shown in Fig. 1. The outer end of the nozzle may be covered by a. protective screen 5. An electric motor 6 operates the fan. The motor is located on the side of the blower casing opposite its air intake opening and has its armature shaft 1 extending into the blower casing and directly connected with the fan 2 as shown in Fig. 2.

A sleeve or cylindrical member 8 is connected to the blower casing about its opening 3 and extends laterally outward therefrom as shown in Fig. 2. A coupling element in the form of a ring or collar 9 is employed for connecting the sleeve to the blower casing. The sleeve 8 increases the length of the air intake passage for the blower and provides a mounting and a support for the electrical heating element and also the air controlling valve of my invention. The air intake opening for the blower is at the outer end. of the sleeve. 7

The heating element comprises a coil it of electrical resistance wire wrapped around a support II. This support is of electrical insulating material and is preferably in spider-like form. It has legs i2, i2 located in the sleeve 8 and secured thereto as by means of screws or bolts l3, 13. The support it extends into the fan or. inipeller 8 through the collar 9 as shown. The ends of the wire comprising the coil it are connected to terminals I i, id secured to the sleeve 3 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Conductor wires i5,

[5' connect ;these terminals with the electric starting switch it of the drier device as shown in Fig. 1. :This switch is also connected. by conductors ll, I'i'with the terminals of the motor 6. The current supply wires it, it are also connected with this switch as shown in Fig. to be later described.

- The construction of the switch, it is such that it controls the supply of electrical current to the motorv and the heating element, respectively, turning on and off the current to both elements simultaneously on'the closing and opening of the switch. To accomplish this result, the switch has an actuator 19 extending outwardly on one side of its housing, said actuator preferably being in the form of a lever as shownin the drawings. This lever is connected to the upper, end of an actuating rod'fit. The rod is vertically disposed and extendsdownwardly from the switch throughthe top plate orhea'd 21 of a pedestal on which the drier assembly is mounted in the form of device shown inthe drawings. The rod 20 is provided at its lower end with an operatingmember; preferably in the form of a foot pedal 26a (Fig. 4) at the lower end of the pedestal. When the foot pedal is depressed 'by the operator using the device, the rod is raised. and

the switch it is closed to supply current to the motor 6, andheating element M, respectively. A coiled spring Zilb at the pedal lowers the rod on release of the pedal, thereby opening t e switch It and cutting off the current to the motor and the heating element.

The valve for the air intake opening of the blower is in the form of a disc 22 mounted in the sleeve 8. on the outer side of the heating element it. The sleeve is cylindrical and the disc is'circular, having a diameter to fit within the sleeve and close it when the valve is in closed position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2. Thedisc 22 is pivotally mounted in the sleeve by means'of a rod 23 extending across the face of the, disc onlone side and journaled at its ends in the wall of the sleeve. The disc may be secured to the rod in any preferred manner. Loop shaped portions 24 are shown for the purpose in the drawings, these loops being pressed out from the disc and snugly fitting about the rod. The rod 23 is located slightly above the center or the disc 22, whereby the disc is mounted off center inthelsleeve This presents a larger surface area to the incoming air on the lower side of the disc than onthe upper side, whereby the air. drawn into the sleeve by the fan will-swing thedisc into its open -position as indicated by broken lines a in Fig. 2. With the disc fixed to the rod 23, the latter will turn with the disc in its opening and closing movements.

To retard the opening movement of the disc 22, I provide 'a timing mechanism. The latter is mounted on the plate or head 25 of the machine at the side of the blower containing the sleeve 8. This mechanism comprises a pair of laterally spaced upright standards 25, 25 secured to the base ill and providing a mounting for a speed reducing gear train of the type usually employed in clock work. This gear train includes an arm 26 secured to the shaft 2i for the larger of the gears 28. The arm 28 has a laterally extending pin 29 connected with a crank at one end of the rod 23 by a link 38. The pin 29 extends beneath the arm 32 of a bell crank lever 33 fulcrumed at 34 between or on one of the standards 25. The lever is so arranged that the arm 32 is substantially horizontal when the valve disc 22 is closed, at which time-current to the motor and heating element of the drier is turned off. The other arm 35 of the lever 33 extends down wardly from its fulcrum and is connected at its lower end with a'coil spring 35 which is secured at its opposite end to a fixed support 3? onthe base of the machine. The spring 36 serves to return and normally maintain the lever 33 with its arm 32 horizontal as shown in Fig. 1. 7

Below the lever arm 32 is an arm 38 rigidly secured to the upper end portion of the rod 28 and extending laterally outward therefrom. The arm 38 moves up and down with the rod 28- in its vertical movement and is preferablyattached to the rod below the connection between the rod and the switch lever is. This connection com-v presses a pivot pin 39 extending through the rod and the bifurcated end of the lever which end straddles the rod as shown. The connection between the arm 38 and the rod 2% is such that the arm moves up and down with the rod as an integral part thereof. In the drawings, I have shown the arm 38 embracing the rod and-rigidly secured by a pin thereto. When the timing mechanism and the rod 2t are in the offset relation as disclosed in the drawings, thearm 38 is given the angular form shown in Fig. 3 to reach from the rod 2% to the lever arm 3.2. A guide to is provided intermediate the ends of the arm 35 toguide it in its up and down movement with the rod 2%. This guide may be in the form of a pair of laterally spaced upright plates or strips secured to the base 2! and disposed tohave the arm slide betweenthem. The timing mechanism is provided with a governor device to regulate the speedof its operation. Thisgove'rnor, as shown i-n'the drawings,

comprises a bladed member ii fixed to the shaft 42 of the terminal pinion d3 .of the gear train. In this form the governor is a wind break con trolling the speed of rotation of the "gear train by the resistance offered by thesurrounding air to rotation of its'blades.

The device shown and described-operates as follows:

In normal position, the valve disc 22 is closed, that is, it closes the air intake opening to the blower i. When the operator steps on the pedal at the base of the machine, the rod 28 is raised, thereby closing the switch it and supplying current to the motor 5 and the heater iii simultaneously. The motor attains its normal high speed rapidly and rotates the fan at that speed. An amount of air considerably less thanthefullsupply is drawn into the blower by the rapidly rotating fan about the periphery of the closed valve disc and through vent openings 44 provided in the portion of the disc above the rod 23. The amount of air entering these openings is controllable by a plate 45 shiftably mounted on the valve disc and having openings 46 to register with the opening 44 in the disc. The plate 45 is pivoted on the disc at its center and has a finger piece 41 whereby the plate may be moved. The finger piece 4'! frictionally engages the valve disc for holding the plate in its positions of adjustment. The openings 44, 46 also relieve the pressure of the incoming air on the upper side of the valve disc whereby the pressure on the lower side will overbalance the discand swing it to its open position.

The opening of the disc 22 is retarded by the governor 4 I. When the rod 20 is raised, the arm 32 of the bell crank lever is also raised by the upward movement of the arm 38 against the underside of the arm of the lever. This will release the lever from the pin 29 on the arm 26 of the timing device and the valve disc is freed to swing to its open position by the pressure of the incoming air on the lower side of the disc. As the disc swings, it turns the rod 23 and raises the arm 26. This actuates the gear train and rotates the governor or windbreak 4|. As the windbreak revolves, its blades by contact with the surrounding air control the speed of rotation of the gear train and the opening movement of the valve disc is retarded for the period of time required for the arm 26 to raise the pin 29 into contact with the underside of the raised lever arm 32 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This lapse of time is predetermined, being regulated by the ratio of the gear train and the size of the windbreak blades. The movement is at a substantially uniform rate and the opening movement of the valve disc is gradual. Thus the amount of air admitted to the blower in the initial operation thereof is controlled and the heating element II), which is turned on with the starting of the blower, is afforded an opportunity to rapidly raise the temperature of the discharged air. This is further enhanced by the fact that the valve disc completely closes the air intake opening when the blower is started, thus requiring the heating element to first heat only the air already contained in the drier, that is, within the chamber formed by the fan housing I and the intake sleeve 8. With this arrangement, the heat increases until the valve disc begins to open, and with the amount of air admitted to the blower controlled by the gradual opening of the valve, the heating element is brought up to its full heating capacity by the time the valve is fully open'and so functions in the continued operation of the blower. As this occurs in an appreciably short period of time after starting the blower, in the neighborhood of ten seconds with the timing mechanism shown herein, an almost immediate rise in temperature of the discharged air is secured. This promotes early drying and avoids the delay in this respect in driers as heretofore used wherein the blower operates at full air supply and maximum speed on starting.

When the valve disc reaches its fully open position as shown in the broken lines in Fig. 2, the arm 26 will have reached the limit of its upward movement, its pin 29 being brought into contact with the underside of the raised lever arm 32 which is held in its raised position by the arm 38 of the operating rod 20. It is understood that the operator of the machine must hold the pedal of the machine depressed as long as he wishes to maintain the drier in operation. When the valve disc fully opens, there is an uninterrupted supply of air to the blower and the hot blast ismaintained throughout the continued operation of the drier.

On release of the foot pedal, the rod 20 by reason of the spring 20?) is lowered, carrying the member 38 downwardly and allowing the spring 36 to return the lever arm 32 to its normal position against the upper side of the lowered arm 38. The downward movement of the lever arm under the action of the spring 36 also lowers the arm 26 and consequently returns the valve disc 22 to its closed position, thereby conditioning the mechanism for a repetition of the function described. The switch IB is also operated in the downward movement of the rod 20 to break the current supply to the motor 6 and the heating element [0.

The switch i6 is of the quick type and as shown more or less diagrammatically in Fig. 4, has a pair of movable contacts or blades 48, 48 and two pairs of fixed contacts 29, 50. The wires 15, I! are connected to the fixed contacts 49, while the wires l8 are connected to the fixed contacts 50. The movable contacts 48 are connected for movement in unison and engage both sets of fixed contacts 49, 50 when the switch is in on or closed position. The movable contacts are out of engagement with the fixed contacts when the switch is in off or open position. The switch is shown in closed position in Fig. 4.

The motor 6 may be supported above the base 2i by a bracket 5|. The drier assembly including the blower, motor, and heating units and the timing mechanism are enclosed in a covering case 52 fitting on top of the base 2! and secured thereto. The blower is so mounted that it may be turned about the axis of the fan 2 to adjust the nozzle 4 up and down as required to suit the user of the device.

The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A drier of the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, and means acting automatically on starting the flow producing means for controlling the amount of air admitted to the flow producing means in the initial operation thereof, whereby almost an immediate rise in temperature of the discharged air is secured and thereafter allowing a full supply of air to the fiow producing means in its continued operation.

2. A drier or the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, and means acting automatically on starting the fic-w providing meas for control-- ling the amount of air admitted to the flow producing means for a predetermined period of time in the initial operation thereof, whereby the heating means may rapidly raise the temperature of the discharged air and thereafter allowing a full supply of air to the flow producing means in its continued operation.

3. A drier of the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, and means for controlling the admission of air to the flow producing means, said controlling means operating automatically acting or snap on starting the flow producing means to regulate the amount of air admitted thereto in the initial operation thereof and thereafter allowing a full supply of air.

4. A drier of the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, valve means for controlling the admission of air to the flow producing means, and means acting automatically on starting the flow producing means for controlling the opening movementof the valve means in the initial operation of the flow producing means.

5. A drier of the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, and valve means for controlling the admission of air to the flow producing means, said valve means normally closing the air intake to the flow producing means and being opened by the pressure of the air drawn against the valve means by the flow producing means.

6. A drier of the character described, comprising means for producing a flow: of air, means for heating the air, valve means .for controllng the admission of air to the flow producing means, said v'alve means' normally closing the air intake to the flow producing means and being opened by the pressure of the air drawn against'the valve means by the flow producing means, and means for retarding the opening movement of the valve means in the initial operation of the flow producing means.

7. A drier of the character described, comprising a chamber having air intake and discharge openings, means within the chamber for drawing air into the chamber through the air intake opening and discharging it through the discharge opening, a heater for heating the air discharged from said chamber, valve means for normally closing the air intake opening, and'means so controlling the opening of the valve means in the initial operation of the drier that the heater will be required first to heat only the air contained in said chamber on starting the drier.

8. A drier or the character described, comprising means for producing a flow of air, means for heating the air, valve means in the form of a pivotally supported disc for controlling the admission of air to the flow producing means, said disc normally closing the air intake to the flow producing means and being mounted ofi center whereby the opening of the disc will be induced by the pressure of the air drawn against its larger pressure area by the flow producing means, and means for retarding the opening movement of the disc in the initial operation of the drier. v

9. A drier of the character described, comprising a power operated blower having air intake and discharge openings, a heater for heating the air discharged from the blower, a pivotally supported valve disc normally closing the air intake opening, said disc being mounted off center whereby its opening movement will be induced by the pressure of the air drawn against the larger pressure area of the disc by the blower, said disc having vent openings in its smaller pressure area, and means for retarding the opening movement of the disc in the initial operation of the blower.

' 10. A drier of the character described, comprising a blower having air intake and discharge openings; an electric heating element for heating the air discharged from the blower, a motor for operatingthe blower, a switch for simultaneously turning on and oii the current supply to the motor and heating element, respectively, and means acting automatically on the closing of the switch to regulate the amount of air admitted to the blower for a predetermined period of time in the initial operation of the blower whereby the heater may rapidly raise: the temperature of the discharged air. l

11. A drier of the character described, comprising a blower having air intake and discharge openings, an electric heating element for heating the air discharged from the blower, a motor for operating the blower, a switch for simultaneously turning on and ofi the current supply to the motor and heating element, respectively, a valve for opening and closing the air intake opening, and means for controlling the opening and closing movements of the valve, said means acting automatically on opening the switch to close the valve and to retard the opening movement of the valve on closing the switch.

12. A drier of the character described, comprising a blower having air intake and discharge openings, an electric heating element for heating the air dischargedfrom the blower, a motor for operating the blower, a switch for simultaneously turning on and on the current supply to the motor and heating element, respectively, a valve normally closing the air intake opening, said valve being opened by the pressure of the air 'drawn into the intake opening by the blower, means for closing the valve, means for retarding the opening movement of the valve, and means actingautomatically on opening and closing the switch to subject the valve to the action of the valve closing and retarding means, respectively. Y 7

13. A drier of. the character described, comprising a blower having air intake and discharge openings, an electrical heating element for heating the air discharged from the blower, a motor for operating the blower, a switch for simultaneously turning on and off the current supply to the motor and the heating element, respec-. tively, a valve normally closing the air intake opening, said valve being opened by the pressure of the air drawn into the air intake opening by the blower, a speed reducer connected to the valve for controlling the opening movement thereof, means for closing the valve, and means acting automatically' on the opening and the closing of the switch to release the valve to action or" the valve closing means and the speedreducer, respectively.

14. A drier of the character described, comprising a blower having air intake and discharge openings, an electrical heating element for heating the air discharged from the blower, a motor for operating the blower, a switch for turning on and off the current supply to the motor and the heating element, respectively, a valve normally closing the intake opening, said valve being opened by the pressure of the air drawn into the intake opening by; the blower, a speed reducer connected to the valve for controlling its opening movement, means for closing the valve, means acting automatically on the opening and the closing of the switch to release the valve to the action of the valve closing means and the speed reducer, respectively, and a governor for the speed reducen. V In a drier of the character described'means for producing a continuous blast of air and having an air intake opening, an electrical heating element for heating the air discharged by the blast producing means, a switch for turning on and on the current supply tothe heating element, a

valve normally closing the air intake opening,

said valve being opened by the pressure of the air drawn into the air intake opening by the blast producing means, a timing mechanism for controlling the opening movement of the valve, said mechanism having an arm connected with the valve, means for closing the valve and having an arm co-acting with the arm of the timing mechanism, and an actuator connected to the switch and having an arm co-acting with the arm of the valve closing means to release the arm of the timing mechanism on the closing of the switch and to return said arm to its starting position on the opening of the switch.

16. A drier of the character described, comprising a power operated blower having air intake and discharge openings, a tubular member connected to the blower at the air intake opening thereof and extending laterally outward from the blower, an electrical heating element mounted in said member for heating the air discharged from the blower, a valve in the form of a disc pivotally mounted in the member on the outer side of the heating element to open and close the member, and means including a switch for controlling the opening and the closing movements of the valve in the opening and closing of the switch whereby the amount of air admitted to the blower in the initial operation thereof may be controlled.

ALVIN C. MCCORD. 

